Railway signaling system



E. BALL.

RAILWAY SIGNALING SYSTEM. APPLICATION F I LED AUG-27. 191s.

Patented M ay13, 1919.

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E. BALL.

RAILWAY SIGNALING SYSTEM.

APPLICATION'FILED AUG-27. 1918.

Patented May 13, 1919.

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E. BALL. RAILWAY SIGNALING SYSTE M. APPLICATION Hugh AuG.27. 1916;

1,303,450. Patented May13,1919.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EARL BALL, 0]? RAINIER, OREGON.

RAILWAY SIGNALING SYSTEM.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented May 13, 1919.

Application filed August 27, 1918. Serial No. 251,668.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EARL BALL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Rainier, in the county of Columbia and State of Oregon, have invented a new and useful Rail way Signaling System, of which the following is a specification.

The subject of this invention is a signal; ing system for use on railways.

The main object of the invention. is the provision of an electrical signaling system capable of establishing communication be improving the construction and enhancing the utility of railway signaling systems.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and. arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed can be made within the scopeof what is claimed without departing from the spiritof the invention. a

A practical form of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein p i Figure 1 is a fragmentary plan view of a railway constructed in accordance with the invention, parts shown diagrammatically,

Fig. 2 1s a s1m1lar view showing a swltch construction Fig. 6 is a view in rear elevation of the same;

Fig. 7 is a detail view taken substantially on the line 7-7 of Fig. 6;.

Fig. 8 is a vertical cross section taken on the line 8-8 of Fig. 7.

Fig. 9 is a diagrammatic view of the sys: tem.

Referring to the drawings by characters of reference In carrying out the invention, the usual railway, consisting of the spaced, cross ties 1, upon which are mounted, and to which are secured the rails 2, is provided. This railway is divided into blocks, as indicated at A, B and C. Between the main rails 2,

and arranged longitudinally of the track,

are the spaced rails 3, 4c and 5, which are suitably secured to the cross ties 1, and the adjacent ends of which are separated, at the end of each block, by insulating. strips 6. Where a crossing T is interposed in a block, the ends of the rails 3, 4 and .5, adjacent the crossing, are also insulated by the strips 6, and in this instance bonding wires 3, a and 5 perve to connect the ends of the respective ra1 s.

At the end of each block a station H is provided, in which is a suitable source of electrical supply, such as the battery 7, one terminal of which is connected by a line wire 8 to the rail 5, while the other terminal of the battery is connected by a line wire 9 to the rail 8. Wires or conductors 10, 11 and 12 connect the respective rails 5, 4E and 3, with sockets 13, 14 and 15, situated within the station. Audible signals, such as the bells 19, are provided within the station for the respective blocks, and the terminals of these bells may be connected with their respective sockets 13, 14 or 15, by means of the cords andplugs 21.

Inorder that the insulation between the blocks may be bridged, and electrical contact established therebetween, when desired,

cords and plugs 16, 17 and 18 are provided in each station to conncctthe sockets13, 1d

and 15, respectively.

When a switch is interposed in the track, the switch rail 2 (see Fig. 2) is insulated from the rails 3, 1 and 5 by means of insulating strips 6", and the ends of the rails 3, 4: and5, at this point, are likewise insulated by the strips 6, and the rails placed in electrical contact by the bonding wires 3, 4 and 5, respectively.

For the purpose of establishing electrical contact between a train and the rails 3, 4 and 5, a trapezoidal frame 23 (see Figs. 3, 4, 5 and 6) is provided, and is suitably hung beneath the cab E of the locomotive, or to another desired unit of the train. Supported within the frame 23 are the spaced, vertically disposed rods 24, herein shownas three in number, around which are coiled the compression springs 25, which extend from the tops of the rods to positions adjacent their lower ends. Coiled compression springs 26 surround the lower ends of the rods 24, and are positioned below the springs 25.

Aframe composed o-f'the spaced yokes 27 (see Fig. 7), three of which are provided, and the rear ends of which are connected by the cross bar 28, to which the are riveted or otherwise secured, and the orward ends of which are similarly connected by the cross bar 29, is hung below the cab E or other unit of a train, with its rear end sup- POrted by the frame 23 The rear ends of the yokes 27 are slotted, as at 27, to receive the rods 24, and these ends engage the rods 24 between the upper springs 25 and the lower springs 26.

Mounted within the yokes 27, on stub shafts 31, on which they are rotatable, are the contact wheels 30, 30 and 30". To properly insulate the wheels. from the yokes 27, the stub. shafts 31 are mounted in fiber blocks. 33 which are retained in the offsets 34 in the yokes 27 ,o and which are held in lace therein by the bolts 3.5, or otherwise. To prevent excessive wear on the fiber blocks 33, facing plates 36 are secured thereto by means of screws or the like. Short tubes 37 are secured in bores formed in the yokes 27 and blocks 33, and have oil cups 38 secured to their outer ends, thus providing means for properly lubricating the wheels.

The forward ends of the yokes 27: are apertured to receive a shaft 39 which is supported in brackets 22 secured to the frame; work of the lOcOIIlOtiVe'E, thus providing a. support for the yokes which will permit; them to rock vertically. Spacing collars 39f may be provided on the shaft 39 for the purpose of retaining the forward ends. of the yokes 27 in proper spaced relation.

A [1.50115 40. rises fromthe rear end of the frame, being connected through the central yoke 27 and the cross bar 28,, and this belt is in linked engagement with a clevis 41,

k which is pivotally secured to, and depends from a lever arm 42. The lever arm 42 is f lcrum d, at one; end, to a bracket 43 seured to n i e bar of the trams 23,. and

x e s; trans ersely of theframe 2.3,and hasits other end pivotallv'engaged; by the lower and. f; a' ink44. 'lhe. link is pivotally secured to and depends from the short arm 45 of a bell crank lever, the long arm 46 of which provides a hand lever for raising and lowering the yokes 27, to bring the wheels out of and into engagement with the rails 3, 4 and 5, and break and make circuit therewith. The bell crank lever is fulcrumed in brackets 47 which are secured to the upper cross bar of the trapezoidal frame 23.

An arcuate guide strip 48 is provided, along which the lever arm 46 swings, and this strip is formed with a stop 49, which is engaged by a latch 50., pivoted to the lever arm 46, for the purpose of retaining parts in position with the wheels raised and out of contact with the rails.

Conductors 51, 52 and 53 lead from the respective wheels 30, 30 and 30 to. sockets 54, 55 and 56, located within the cab. Two of these sockets may be selectively placed in engagement with the terminals of an audible signal, such as the bell 57, through means of the cords and plugs 58.

In practice the system is operated in the following mam1er:-

Considering especially Figs. 1 and 3, when two trains enter a block, and the trains are going in the same direction, with the plugs of the cords 58 normally in contact with the sockets 54 and 55, if one engineer switches his plugs of the cords 58 to the sockets 55 and 56, he establishes an electrical circuit from. the battery 7, through line 8, rail 5, wheel 30", line 53, socket 56, one cord 58, bell 57, the other cord 58', socket 55, line 52, wheel 30, rail 4, to wheel 30 of the other cab, from such wheel 30, through line 52, socket 55, one cord 58, bell 57, the other cord 58', socket 54, line 51, wheel 30, rail 3, line 9 to, the battery 7. This will cause the bells in both cabs to ring.

Before entering the block, it may be determined whether another train is present in the block, by placing the plugs of the cords 21, located in the station, in the sockets 13 and 14. Under these circumstances, if a train is in the block and approaching the station from the left, as viewed in Fig. 3, the; bells will be rung.

Should trains enter the same block, and be approaching each other from opposite directions as. seen in- Fig. 4, with the plugs of the cords 58 in normal position, that is, in the sockets 54 and 55, electrical contact will immediately be established from the battery 7, through line 8, rail 5, wheel 30 of one cab line 51, to socket 54, one cord 58, bell 57, the'other cord 58, socket 55, line 52, wheel 30', rail 4, wheel 30 of the other cab, line 52 of that cab, socket 55, one cord 58, bell 57, the other cord 58', socket 54, line 51, wheel 30, rail 3, line 9 to the battery 7.

It will thus be possible for the station, or an engineer in his cab, to. establish com munication with a train and learn the poi-i sition of the train and the direction of motion thereof.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and sought by Letters Patent, is

1. A railway signaling system, including in combination with a railway track, a plurality of rails constituting electrical conductors on the track andbetWeen the rails thereof, a source of electrical supply, connections between the source of supply and two of the conductors, a car for the track, contact wheels carried by the car for engaging the respective conductors, terminals in the car, connections between the terminals and the respective contact wheels, an audible signal, and means for selectively connecting the signal to the terminals.

2. A railway signaling system, including in combination with a railway track and a car therefor, a plurality of electrical conductors on the track and between the rails thereof the conductors divided into blocks, the conductors of each block normally insulated from the conductors of the other blocks, a source of electrical supply, connections between the source of supply and two of the conductors, contacts on the car and adapted to engage the respective conductors,

sockets in the car, connections between the sockets and the respective contacts, a signal in the car, means for selectively connecting the signal to the sockets, means for bridging the insulation at the ends of the blocks to connect corresponding conductors of adjacent blocks, and means for selectively connecting the conductors in circuit to actuate the signal in the car.

3. A railway signaling system, including in combination with a railway track, three conductor rails secured on the track and between the rails thereof, a source of electrical supply, connections between the source of supply and two of the rails, a car for the track, contacts on the car and adapted to engage the respective rails, terminals in the car, connections between the respective terminals and the contacts, a signal, means for selectively connecting the signal to the terminals, and means for selectively connecting the rails in circuit to actuate the signal.

4. A railway signaling system, including in combination with a railway track, and a car for the track, conductor rails secured on the track, a source of electrical supply, connections between the source of supply and the rails, a frame comprising a series of yokes hung beneath the car, wheels carried in the respective yokes, insulation between the. wheels and yokes, means for lowering or raising the wheels to place them in or draw them out of contact with the rails,

terminals in the car, connections between the terminals and the respective wheels, a signal, and means for selectively connecting the signal with the terminals.

5. A railway signaling system, includingv in combination with a railway track, and a car for the track, conductor rails secured to the track, a source of electrical supply, connections between the source of supply and certain of the rails, a frame hung beneath the car, a shaft hung beneath the car and in spaced relation to the frame, a series of yokes having ends secured to the shaft and rockable thereon, the other ends of the yokes positioned in the frame, means secured to the frame for moving the ends of the yokes vertically, contacts mounted in the yokes and insulated therefrom, said contacts adapted to engage the rails, terminals in the car, connections between the terminals and the contacts, a signal, and means for selectively connecting the signal with the terminals.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signa ture in the presence of two witnesses.

EARL BALL.

Witnesses:

C. R. I-IALLBE G, T. J. FLIPPIN.

copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Intent:

Washington, D. G." 

